Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-03-11
REVIEW OF THE SESSION,
Increasing LegislatiOn-The Measures
Which are Laws and Those Which
Died.


Which are Laws and Those Whicf
Died.
WASHINGTON, March 4.-The Con
gress, which ended its existence al
noon to-day, has offered a striking
illustration of the constant increase il
the volume of legislation demanding
the attention of Congress, which hal
been going on for the three or NOR,
Congresses. More bills were intro
duced into both houses, more com
mittees reported, bills were passed
more became laws and more were
vetoed than ever before. Most of
these measures were of comparatively
small importance, but many, not only
of the bills and reports pre-
sented, but the laws enacted, were OF
general interest and importance. The
number of bills enacted into laws were
old and familiar claimants for legisla-
tive favOrs.
The Forty-ninth Congress com
menced its session on the 4th day OF
December, 1885, and was in session
until the 5th of August, when it ad
journed until December 6, and con.
tinued in session until its close to-day
covering total period of 10 months
and 26 days. Of this time the Senate
was in session 224 days and the house
251 days. There were introduced in
the house during the time IL ,251 bills
and 2O3 joint resolutions, on which
over 5000 reports were made, being
several thousand more reports than
were made in the Forty-eighth Con
gress, which had in its turn beaten all
others.
There were introduced 3,257 bills
and 11S joint resolutions on which l..
9SS written reports were made, being
upward of 500 bills and over 400 more
reports than in the records of the
Forty-eighth Congress. The total
number of laws enacted approximated
1882 of which 1903 originated in the
House and 339 in the Senate. Two
hundred and sixty-four of these became
laws by expiration of constitutional
limitation.
THE VETO RECORD.
There were 1872 bills vetoed by the
President and twenty-one more in
stances of the exercise of the Presi-
dents prerogative of veto than had oc-
Cured from the foundation of the Gov.
ernment down to the beginning OF
this Congress. OF the vetoed bills, "a
originated in the House and 38 in the
Senate. But of the private bills, that
granting pension to Jacob Romeiser
and the public bill, namely, that pro-
viding for the erection of q government
building at Dayton, o., succeeded in
passing both Houses over the Prcsi-
dents veto, although several others
obtained the requisite two-thirds ve.o
in the Senate, only to fail in the
House.
THE DEATH ROLL.
The death roll of this Congress was
also an extraordinary one, comprising
the unprecedented number of 13 per-
sons in the House and Senate.
CONTESTS FOR SEATS.
But one election case was decided
by the House against a sitting mem.
ber and Congress was characterized
by an absence of that acrimonious
discussion which such contests usually
awaken. In the Rhode Island case
it was decided that neither Page nor
Pierce was entitled to q seat in the
House and a new election was order
ed.
HOUSE BILLS WHICH PASSED.
Of the 1903 House bills which be.
came laws, 275 were of more or Less
public nature. Of the remaining 7SS
bills, granting pensions for the reliel
of specially designated persons, 156 be-
came laws without the approval of the
President.
Following is list of more impor
tant House bills which have became
laws:
To forfeit the Atlantic & Pacific rail.
way grant.
To increase the pension of widows
and dependent relatives from So to $12
per month.
The Dingley shipping bill.
To amend the Thurman act. Ql
requires the Pacific roads to pay the
costs of surveying and conveying theil
land grants and subjects the land to
taxation as sooa as the companies are
entitled to them.)
To increase the naval establish
ments.
To pension Mexican war veterans.
To impose tax on and regulate tho
manufacture, sale and importation
and exploration of ale.
To authorize the transfer of thu
Highwood tract near Chicago to tn,
United Statesfor military purposes.
To protect homestead settlers with
in railroad limits.
To enable national banking assOcia
tiOns to increase their capital stock
and change their name and location.
For construction of congressional
library buildings.
r. T.